Page 103 of A Christmas Celebration
He didn’t say anything.
‘I asked you not to come back,’ I reminded him.
His face, which had drained of all colour when he spotted me, then flushed red.
‘You ignored me,’ I said, feeling hurt.
He might now turn out to be the man I had always hoped he was, but if it was at the cost of putting Albert in a difficult position then the price of the revelation was too high.
‘I didn’t ignore you,’ Brodie said quietly.
‘The evidence in front of me suggests otherwise,’ I tersely responded.
‘I’m only here,’ he said, taking a step closer to me, ‘because I was invited.’
‘You were invited?’ I frowned. ‘Or you pushed your way in?’
‘I was invited,’ he said firmly.
I turned to go back to the cottage and discover what Albert had to say about that, but Brodie darted around me, blocking my path.
‘What are you doing?’ I demanded. ‘Get out of my way, Brodie.’
‘Please don’t go,’ he begged. ‘Not yet. Let me explain first.’
I looked up at him and felt my annoyance that he hadn’t taken my warning to stay away seriously start to crumble. He wouldn’treallyhave forced his way in, would he?
‘You walked out on me once before,’ he reminded me, ‘and everything between us, apart from that unforgettable kiss, has been off centre ever since. I’m not letting that happen again. I can’t.’
‘Oh, Brodie,’ I sighed.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Come and sit down and let me tell you everything.’
Chapter 25
I walked further into the studio with Bran as close to my side as it was possible for him to get and headed towards the wood burner which was burning brightly. Albert had been right about it keeping the place warm. I realized then that, feeling dazed, I hadn’t capitalized on the opportunity to look at the canvas Brodie had been working on. He had now turned the easel to face the other way, so I had missed my chance. Damn.
‘Won’t you sit down?’ he asked, as he swilled some brushes in a jar. ‘Why don’t you follow Bran’s lead?’
The huge hound had already forsaken me in favour of the heat source and curled up on the rug in front of the fire. I slowly lowered myself into one of the armchairs next to him.
‘What was it that gave me away?’ Brodie then asked.
‘The bike,’ I said huskily. ‘The Land Rover lights picked it out.’
Brodie shook his head.
‘I didn’t plan to leave it there,’ he tutted. ‘But you werealready here when I came back and I was worried that if I tried to wheel it through the gate, you’d hear it squeaking.’
‘When you came back?’ I frowned. ‘Exactly how often have you been here?’
Brodie wiped his hands on a paint-stained towel and looked sheepish.
‘Quite a lot over the last few days,’ he confessed, ‘and this morning, too.’
‘In that case,’ I said, ‘I’m very much looking forward to hearing what you have to say.’
He sat in the chair opposite mine and ran both hands through his hair. I noticed there was now a streak of cobalt blue running through one side.
